Paulding County School District is working throughout the summer to have four major projects complete before students and teachers return from summer break.

The projects include building a new Hiram Elementary School, renovating Dallas and Union elementary schools, and connecting Russom Elementary to public sewer lines.

Construction manager Ken Elsberry gave an update of the projects to the school board at its meeting last week.

Hiram’s new building is set for completion by July 25 adjacent to the old school building. The demolition of the old school building is scheduled to be complete by Aug. 1 and was 95 percent completed last week, Elsberry said.

During the fall semester all dropoffs will be made from Towne Parke Drive while parking lots are being built.

Upgrades to Dallas and Union are mostly being paid for through state capital outlay funds. The state is paying 79 percent of the Dallas project and 76 percent of Union, with the remainder coming from the Paulding school district.

“These are very cost effective projects,” he said.

Dallas Elementary’s total cost is $1,251,293, with the district paying $266,859, and Union’s total cost is $1,117,110, with the district paying $262,995.

School Board Vice Chairman Kim Curl said, “It is a super deal.”

Security vestibules — funded with proceeds from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax — are being added to Dallas and Union as well.

“They are prototypes,” Elsberry said.

These areas will force all those who visit the school to enter the administrative office before having access to the hallways or class rooms.

The district is going to look at the cost and time it takes to build them to determine what it will take to put a vestibule area in each school.

Every high school, three middle schools and five elementary schools have them, and after the summer Elsberry projected two additional elementary schools will have them as well.

Curl said, “Security is our No. 1 issue.”

Also discussed was the addition of lines connecting Russom to the public sewer system at a cost of $135,000. The project is to be complete by July 25.

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